Improvement in spoke-polishing machines



UNITED STATES GEORGE L. HOUSE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPOKE-POLISHING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,732, dated July 8,1873; application filed February 21, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. Rouse, of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in aSpoke-Polishing Machine, of which the following is a specification:

The general object of my invention is auto matically to sand-paper orpolish the spokes of wheels. It may, however, be used to polish anyother similar pieces of wood; and by substituting a belt sprinkled withemerypowder for the one sprinkled with sand, it may be used forpolishing metal.

When a spoke first comes from the lathe it is very rough and uneven, andbears the creases of the chisel. The task of polishing it by the methodsheretofore in use is slow and laborious. To obviate'this, and to producea machine whereby the work.can be done much more rapidly and muchbetter, is what I have aimed to do by my invention.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a sand-belt carried uponthree drums, in connection with mechanism for revolving the spoke in adirection opposite to the sand-belt,

and mechanism for holding the spoke in contact with the sand-belt untilit is polished, and then automatically substituting another, bringingthe first up to be removed by the operator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my machine forspoke-polishin g, showing, especially, the sand-belt and drums. Fig. 2is a sectional view, designed to show more clearly the mechanism forrevolving the spoke. Fig. 3 is a sectional view designed to show themechanism for automatically bringing into position a second spoke whenone has been polished. Fig. 4: is a view of a part of the mechanism foradjusting the spoke.

In the drawings, like letters refer to like parts.

A represents the frame, which may be made of wood or iron, and in anyform, to support the various mechanical parts in their appropriatepositions. Playing-in the boxes a a a is the shaft B, which is driven byfast and loose pulleys b 12 connected by belt to the main shaft or otherappropriate motive power. Carried on shaft B is drum (3, which, in turn,

drives the sand-belt E, as indicated by the.

arrow. Sand-belt E is made of heavy cloth or canvas, or other suitablematerial, and is sanded in the usual manner, and runs upon thedriving-drum (J, driven drum 1), and supporting drum or roller F. Drum Dturns upon a shaft which runs in boxes in slidingframe G. Frame G iselevated or depressed in the slides in supporting-frame H by a screwbeneath the frame. Frame H also slides in slots h h, and rectilinearmotion of the frame is produced by the rotation of screw 0 by means ofcrank 01, whereby the sand-belt E can be made as taut as is desired.Supporting drumor roller F is the smallest of the three, and is placedbeneath the upper side of sandbelt E and near the point where the spokeis being polished. It turns on shaft 0 in boxes f f, which may beelevated or depressed by means of the wedges or keys 9 g, or by anyother appropriate device. It is intended to press the sand-belt upagainst the spoke, so as make the polishing more rapid and complete, andsecure an even surface at the point of contact with the spoke. Supportedupon the frame-work I I, on opposite sides of sand-belt E, turning inboxes at i, is the shaft J. Turning with shaft J, at a little distancefrom either extremity, are four cylindrical disks, K K and K K, two ateach end. At equal distances, turning on shafts k k in boxes on theperiphery of disks K K, are three friction-wheels, L L L, which arerotated in the direction indicated in the drawin g by means of the largefriction-wheel m on shaft 1. Shaft Z is moved by fast and loose pulleysN and N, which are run by a belt from the main shaft the same as thepulleys b b; or by adding the pulley n to shaft B they may derive theirpower from that source by means of a cross-belt, in which case a pieceof the frame shown in the drawing would have to be removed or they maybe driven by friction-pulleys from shaft B. One end of shaft Z is in amovable bearing in pivotbox a, and friction-wheel m is pressed up firmlyagainst friction wheels L L L in succession by means of the lever andweight 0. Pulleys N and friction-wheel m revolve in the oppositedirection from drum 0, and friction-wheels L L L in the same direction.To the ends of shafts k k to nearest the sandbelt, rotated byfriction-wheels L L L, are securely attached the cups 0 0 0, theinterior surfaces of which are conical and notched to firmly hold thesquare end of the spoke when it is introduced, and rotate it in adirection opposite to the sand-belt. On the shaft 1, between the fastand loose pulleys and the lever, is gear-wheel P, gearing into wheel Q,and givingit a slow motion in the same direction as drum 0. To theinside of this gear-wheel is firmly secured a cylindrical disk, q,having a notch, 19, in its periphery. The disk and the gear-wheel may bemade of one piece. Securely fastened to shaft J, outside of disk K, isthe triangular tooth It, having concave sides, and so adjusted that itsconcavity just fits the convexity of disk q. While so adjusted it willbe seen that shaft J, bearing its disks and the spokes, cannot moveuntil the disk g has completed a revolution, when the next angle oftooth R entering notch 19 moves shaft J one-third of arevolution. It hasalready been seen how one end of the spoke is held and rotated. Themechanism for adjusting the spoke Power is applied to the machine at b,and

also at N. By the power applied at b, the sandbelt is revolved rapidlyin the direction indicated. It may, however, be rotated in the oppositedirection, if desired, in which case the motions are all reversed. Theoperator standing beside the disks K K, inserts the square end of thespoke in one of the cups 0, and by the handle of lever 8 draws backspring t and center 0" until he can interpose the end of the spoke,having the cavity left in turning, before the point of 1", when, thehand being removed, the spring acts and the spoke is firmly held. In asimilar manner he inserts another spoke a little before the spoke firstinserted,

by the revolution of shaft J with disks, &c., attached, comes down so asto touch the sandbelt, the friction-wheel L connected with cup 0 comesin contact with friction-wheel m, (see Fig. 2,) which is pressed upwardbyweight and lever 0. As wheel on is revolved by the power applied at N,it will be seen that at the moment of contact between thefriction-wheels the spoke is rapidly revolving in a direction oppositeto the belt, and as the belt is pressed upward against the spoke byproperly adj ustin g the drum or roller F, the spoke, however rough, isquickly polished. The pressure of the sand-belt has a constant tendencyto move the spoke forward and out of its way. But this tendencyiscounteracted by the triangular tooth B, one of whose concave sides is soadjusted to disk q that it serves as a lock, until the notch 19 comesaround, when the tendency of the sand-belt to move the spoke forwardtakes effect, the tooth enters the notch, and, the disk revolving,brings the next side of triangle It down upon the disk, and the nextspoke down against the sand-belt. While this is being polished, theoperator takes out the polished spoke, and puts in its place oneunpolished, the disks revolve, and another spoke is polished. I

The disks K K and K K may be fitted with as many friction-wheels asdesired, and so carry more spokes at the same time, in which case Bwould have more projections.

What I claim is- 1. The recessed cups for holding the ends of thespokes, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the recessed cups for holding the ends of thespokes, the wheels L L L mounted at intervals on the periphery of thedisks K K, and the friction-wheel m, arranged and operatingsubstantially as described.

3. The combination of revolving detent R, and the gear-wheel Q, providedwith a notched disk q, or its equivalent, substantially as described.

GEORGE L. ROUSE.

Witnesses CHARLES B. WILBY, JOHN E. HATCH.

